The Basic Parts of Speech

Learning the names of the nine parts of speech probably won't make you witty, wealthy, or wise. In fact, learning just the names of the parts of speech won't even make you a better writer. But you will gain a basic understanding of the English language, which will help you to follow the other lessons in Grammar and Composition. And those lessons will help you to improve your writing.

As you study the table at the bottom of the page, keep in mind that only interjections ("Yes!") have a habit of standing alone (or alongside complete sentences). The three articles appear before nouns. However, the other parts of speech--nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives adverbs, prepositions, and conjunctions-- come in many varieties and may appear just about anywhere in a sentence. To know for sure what part of speech a word is, we have to look not only at the word itself but also at its meaning, position, and use in a sentence.

For example, in the first sentence below, work is a noun; in the second sentence, a verb; and in the third sentence, an adjective:

• Bosco showed up for work two hours late.
  [The noun work is the thing Bosco shows up for.]
  
• He will have to work until midnight.
  [The verb work is the action he must perform.]
  
• His work permit expires next month.
  [The adjective work modifies the noun permit.]

Don't let this variety of meanings and uses confuse or discourage you. Keep in mind that learning the names of the basic parts of speech is just one way to understand how sentences are put together.

Now review the nine parts of speech listed below, and for each one see if you can provide examples of your own. You will grow more familiar with the parts of speech as you practice using them in other lessons on this site, such as Basic Sentence Structures.

Parts of Speech